Seeing in the New Year
by Nenime Fish
Summary: A bit of New Year fluff with Gene & Alex. A2A set after episode 8.


**A/N:**_ I seem to be on a roll here, no fics for two years and suddenly the Ashes to Ashes plot bunnies attack me. Hope you enjoy this one, I know its not New Year for a while yet but this piece of fluff was just nagging to be written. Also thanks to everyone for the kind reviews on my last fic! This one's for you guys :) Enjoy! _

**Seeing in the New Year**

Alex smiled as she stepped into Luigi's. The little underground restaurant had been transformed and there were now about 100 balloons dotted around the place. Some were pinned to the wall by ribbon, others floating around the room. The tables had been pushed to the side so there was room for everyone to dance, but still room to sit if people wanted to drink. Above the bar there was a large banner which read _"Happy New Year!"_ and it was decorated either side with more balloons and streamers.  
She couldn't believe it was New Years Eve. The time since her parent's death had first crawled and then sped past, the clown was turning up less and less and although she still saw Molly around, Alex was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to get home. Those thoughts had haunted her since October and she hadn't looked forward to Christmas or New Year. She'd gotten through Christmas tucked away in her flat, only to be dragged into Luigi's for lunch with Gene on Boxing Day because he refused to leave her sulking. She had intended on spending New Years Eve in the same way, the thought of seeing in a new year without Molly almost unbearable. But the others in CID kept going on about the party at Luigi's and both Shaz & Gene had asked if she'd be there.

Alex knew that really there was no point staying in her flat. She'd never get to sleep with the party going on and anyway, sitting with the others would take her mind off things. The party started in Luigi's at half nine and after work Alex had ran to the shops in search of something to wear. Apart from the prostitutes dress she had arrived in, she had nothing really suitable for a party. And she certainly was _not_ going to wear that dress.  
So here she was, dressed up slightly in a black off the shoulder number that stopped just above the knee, waiting for the rest of CID and some others who worked in the station whom she had never met.  
"Signora, you are looking lovely tonight" Alex turned and smiled at Luigi  
"Thank you."  
"You are waiting for Signor Hunt?" she nodded and before she could reply members of CID and some others came pouring into the restaurant, Chris, Ray and Shaz among them. Alex walked over and they all settled at a table together. Drinks were soon flowing and Luigi put on some music, it was quickly turning into a real party. People were dancing, drinking and just having a good time.  
"_As it should be"_ thought Alex. She was watching Ray teaching Chris to light his finger and while it was funny watching them, she couldn't help but notice someone was missing. Where was Gene? He said he'd be there, heck he'd asked her if she would be so it was a bit hypocritical of him not to turn up.

Two hours passed, and everyone had gotten up and left her. Shaz and Chris were dancing and Ray was chatting up a blonde receptionist. Alex sat at the table, half a glass of wine in one hand, her other propping up her chin. She was seriously considering going upstairs to her flat if Gene didn't show. Although it wasn't like she was _completely_ on her own, she supposed, the rest of CID were dancing and drinking around her. But it seemed empty without him sat opposite her slagging off Luigi's wine. If he turned up it would give her someone to talk to and maybe she could even get him to dance. She was reluctant to admit it but over the past five months she had been in 1981, she had grown attached to Gene. She enjoyed their arguments, enjoyed challenging him and the thrill she got from it and from seeing him fired up. She looked forward to the evenings where the pair of them would sit in Luigi's, talking and arguing over a bottle of wine and some whisky.  
Gene was the only reason she had bothered coming tonight if she was honest. Spending an evening with him, maybe coaxing a dance out of him was a much better prospect then spending the evening upstairs waiting for New Year on her own.  
So where the bloody hell was he? Her eyes scanned the crowd again but there was no sign of him.  
Suddenly a yell came from the other side of the room.  
"Oi Luigi! Give us a bottle of yer house rubbish." Alex turned and smiled as she saw him leaning against the bar. So he had turned up. Maybe this evening wouldn't be so bad after all.

She pushed her way through the throng of dancing people, eventually getting to the bar where Gene was leaning, watching everyone. He caught sight of her and his eyes widened before they could stop them.  
"Blimey Bolls." He said "You tryin' ta give me an eart attack?" She smiled; this would be as close to a compliment as she'd get from him.  
"You decided to turn up then?" she said, taking the glass of wine he offered her and leaning against the bar next to him, observing the crowd.  
"Yeah well, some nutter got im self arrested an' I had ta sort im out. Bloody nonce decided ta flash his goods at a bunch of pensioners" She laughed and Gene knocked back his glass of whisky and they stood watching everyone for a while, talking idly. Alex watched as Luigi walked around with a camera, capturing photos of dancing couples and groups of people setting party hats on fire. She smiled as he headed over to where she and Gene stood.  
"Signor Hunt, may I take a photo of you and the lovely Signora?" Gene sighed and was about to tell the Italian where he could stick his camera when he saw Alex smile and tell Luigi that of course he could. He muttered something about not smiling even if he was paid because the wine was rubbish, but Alex elbowed him in the side and caught his eye.  
"Don't be a spoil sport." He sighed and Luigi signalled for them to move closer. Gene glared; Alex sighed and moved so she was right next to him, putting the arm that wasn't holding her wine round his waist. Gene started and resisted the sudden urge to put his arm round her and instead rested it behind her on the bar. She smiled, he tried not to glare and Luigi took the photo and walked off.

Alex reluctantly dropped her arm from around Gene's waist, but stayed standing close to him.  
"That wasn't so bad now was it?" she teased and he grunted and took another swig of whisky. Another slow song came on the juke box and they watched their colleagues sway around the floor. Alex sipped her wine; maybe she could get a dance before the year was out. She checked the clock on the wall. Ten minutes to go, time for one last song. She put her glass down and turned to Gene. He looked down at her; she had chosen flatter shoes than normal and was just a head shorter than him for a change.  
"Wot now?"  
"I want to dance"  
"Well go on, I ain't stopping yer." She rolled her eyes.  
"With you." She added. Gene looked at his glass and muttered something. Alex held out her hand.  
"Come on. There's less than ten minutes left of 1981." He looked at her and she smiled.  
"The world won't end if DCI Hunt dances." He sighed.  
"Fine." He plonked his glass down, took her offered hand and let her drag him onto the dance floor. He hoped Luigi would be elsewhere with his sodding camera and wouldn't catch him dancing like a fairy.

A suitably slow song came on and Alex took Gene's hand in hers, the other she put on his waist and he mirrored her. They swayed slowly in time to the music and Alex smiled at him.  
"See, world hasn't ended yet" she teased. He grunted but smiled slightly at her. He wouldn't admit it out loud but was enjoying it, just him and Bolly with no Evan and no Thacherite Wankers. She was his for the evening.  
He started slightly as her arms moved up round his neck and she rested her head on his chest. His found himself wrapping his arms round her waist and they moved closer, still swaying in time to the music.  
It felt like that they were like that forever when in reality it was only a few minutes and soon the music had been turned down. Alex raised her head from Gene's chest and looked at the clock. Everyone stopped dancing and the room started counting.

"10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!" the room cheered, the music got louder and everyone hugged everyone else.  
Alex turned back to Gene and found him smiling down at her, they were still holding onto each other and she realised that there was nowhere she would have rather spent the night.  
"Happy New Year Bolls" he murmured, and before she could reply he had lowered his head and captured her mouth with his in a kiss which she returned happily.  
Across the room, Luigi smiled and snapped one last photo for the evening before slipping away into the kitchen.

--

A week later, Alex was about to head out the door to work when she found an envelope pushed under her door. Curiously she picked it up and opened it & out fell a set of photographs.  
The first was of her and Gene standing at the bar, her arm was round him and he was trying not to glare at the camera. She realised that these must be some photos from the New Years Eve party that Luigi had taken. Flicking through the others she smiled. There was one of Chris and Shaz sat together beaming, one of Ray lighting his hand while Chris laughed, one of her and Shaz chatting and another of them all later in the evening sat in one of the booths. Shaz was sat on Chris' lap, Ray was teasing Chris and next to Ray sat her and Gene, his arm round her shoulders, both smiling at the camera.  
The second to last photo was a side on shot of her and Gene dancing to the last song of 1981. Her head was on his chest, her arms round his neck. His arms were round her waist and he was smiling down at her. Luigi must have been sneaky to get that photo with out Gene seeing and thumping him. She doubted he wanted any evidence of him dancing but she didn't care. It had been one of the happiest moments for her since she had arrived. The happiest was captured in the final photograph in the pile.

It had been taken just as 1982 started and it was of Gene and her again, just as he'd kissed her. Alex smiled down at the photo and put her fingers to her lips, remembering it and recalling the other small kisses over the past week. Always where no one could see them and always gentle, like both of them was afraid that if they went further that something would spoil it. But she was glad that this one had been captured, even if Luigi would suffer if Gene found out.

Turning round to the corkboard she had bought herself, Alex slotted the pictures round the edge of it and smiled. She was still no closer to going home, but maybe being trapped here wouldn't be so bad after all.


End file.
